# Grace Kennedy: Stories Behind the Spotlight and the Passion Behind DZIRE

An episode of [Tony Mantor's : Almost Live..... Nashville](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1751194045), 27 Oct 2026, 29 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/c41d385f-64b2-4514-9415-b4d50130ce01/8dfc0655-1579-419b-9183-b4d901831ef1/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=d1742151-672b-4e4d-997b-b4d50130ce0c

Show Notes From performing with Marvin Hamlisch as a teenager to starring in her own BBC television series, Grace Kennedy has a lifetime of stories to share. She joins Tony Mantor on Almost Live Nashville for a conversation about unforgettable encounters, artistic independence, and the passion behind her album, DZIRE. Grace recalls the encouragement she received from Sammy Davis Jr. and Aretha Franklin, including an evening when Sammy personally cooked her dinner. She also reflects on performing before British royalty, starring in Carmen Jones in Tokyo, and finding unexpected peace through gardening. Looking ahead, Grace shares the seven-year journey behind DZIRE, working with her brother Errol Kennedy, and why songs such as “Strong,” “Wherever You Are Tonight,” and “Love Affair” mean so much to her. Along the way, she offers honest advice about resilience, choosing trustworthy collaborators, and taking ownership of your career. Follow Grace on social media at @GraceKennedyOfficial. Follow Almost Live Nashville for more conversations about music, entertainment, and the people behind the performances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
[0:01] Speaker 2: Before we start today's show, I want to introduce you
[0:05] Speaker 2: to Coast to Coast Heroes, my new podcast debuting November 11th.
[0:09] Speaker 2: For our military veterans, the uniform is only part of
[0:13] Speaker 2: the story. Behind it is a person and a life
[0:16] Speaker 2: shaped by service, sacrifice, and experiences many of us may
[0:21] Speaker 2: never fully understand. Through honest, deeply personal conversations, you'll hear
[0:26] Speaker 2: veterans share what they've faced, what carried them through, and
[0:29] Speaker 2: how they continue making a difference beyond their military service.
[0:34] Speaker 2: Their strength deserves more than our gratitude. Their stories deserve
[0:38] Speaker 2: our attention. Coast to Coast Heroes, the people behind the uniform,
[0:43] Speaker 2: the stories beyond the headlines. Coast to Coast Heroes debuts
[0:48] Speaker 2: November 11th. Please follow, listen, and share. And most of all,
[0:53] Speaker 2: get to know the veterans because behind every veteran is
[0:57] Speaker 2: a story and listening is where understanding begins. Hi, I'm
[1:02] Speaker 2: Tony Mantour. Thanks for joining us today. Welcome to Almost
[1:06] Speaker 2: Live Nashville, where music, entertainment, and great conversations come together.
[1:11] Speaker 1: If you haven't already, tap follow.
[1:13] Speaker 2: This way you stay up to date, never missing the
[1:15] Speaker 2: great conversation and guests coming your way. Today we're taking
[1:21] Speaker 2: a trip across the Atlantic to spend time with one
[1:23] Speaker 2: of Britain's most beloved entertainers. My guest is the incredibly
[1:28] Speaker 2: talented Grace Kennedy. a singer, actress, television personality, and BAFTA
[1:34] Speaker 2: award winner whose career has spanned decades and touched audiences
[1:39] Speaker 2: around the world. Grace first captured the spotlight as a teenager,
[1:43] Speaker 2: performing alongside legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch. with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
[1:49] Speaker 2: before going on to star in her own BBC television
[1:52] Speaker 2: series at just 19 years old. Throughout her career, she's
[1:56] Speaker 2: shared the stage with icons like Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin,
[2:01] Speaker 2: Al Jarreau, the Pointer Sisters, and Boy George, while performing
[2:05] Speaker 2: before members of the British royal family and audiences across
[2:09] Speaker 2: the globe. Now Grace is entering an exciting new chapter
[2:12] Speaker 2: with her upcoming album, Desire, a deeply personal project seven
[2:17] Speaker 2: years in the making. This is a conversation filled with
[2:20] Speaker 2: incredible memories, behind-the-scenes stories, wisdom from a lifetime in entertainment,
[2:26] Speaker 2: and a look at what's still ahead for one of
[2:28] Speaker 2: the UK's most enduring performers. Now sit back, relax, and
[2:33] Speaker 2: enjoy my conversation with the one and only Grace Kennedy.
[2:37] Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us today.
[2:39] Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm so excited to be on your show.
[2:42] Speaker 4: Thank you so much.
[2:43] Speaker 1: Yeah, let's start this off.
[2:45] Speaker 2: My first question is, you've had an incredible career, music, television,
[2:50] Speaker 2: live entertainment. When you look back at everything, what moment
[2:54] Speaker 2: was it that you first realized that your dream was
[2:57] Speaker 2: actually becoming reality?
[2:59] Speaker 4: I think at 17 years old, I was asked to
[3:03] Speaker 4: sing some songs with Marvin Hamlisch at the Royal Albert Hall.
[3:08] Speaker 4: I think that was the first time I couldn't believe
[3:11] Speaker 4: it that I was in this amazing place singing with the.
[3:15] Speaker 3: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and.
[3:17] Speaker 4: Singing Marvin Hamlisch, who was Barbra Streisand's MD, musical director.
[3:23] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[3:24] Speaker 4: And he wrote some amazing songs, scores like Chorus Line.
[3:29] Speaker 4: Chorus Line was very big on Broadway.
[3:32] Speaker 3: That was, you know, because.
[3:34] Speaker 4: At 17, I think I hadn't performed in front of
[3:38] Speaker 4: so many people.
[3:39] Speaker 3: And I was so nervous.
[3:41] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[3:41] Speaker 3: Sitting next to him.
[3:43] Speaker 4: And he sort of touched my arm to say, it's okay,
[3:47] Speaker 4: don't worry. Yeah.
[3:48] Speaker 3: You've got this.
[3:49] Speaker 4: And then after that, it was just, you know, it
[3:52] Speaker 4: just went from there to my BBC television show. And
[3:57] Speaker 4: I was very lucky to get six shows with the BBC.
[4:01] Speaker 3: They only commissioned one show.
[4:04] Speaker 4: The reason why I got all six is that I
[4:06] Speaker 4: was approached, well, my agent was approached, that Barry Manilow
[4:11] Speaker 4: had six shows with the BBC and he became ill.
[4:15] Speaker 4: I don't know if he had the flu or something.
[4:17] Speaker 4: It wasn't right. And they asked if I would take
[4:20] Speaker 4: all six shows.
[4:21] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[4:22] Speaker 3: That was with the BBC then for three years.
[4:24] Speaker 1: That was a great run.
[4:25] Speaker 2: And not only that, you got the BAFTA award for
[4:29] Speaker 2: doing it.
[4:29] Speaker 3: That's right. Yeah, the show won the BAFTA and I
[4:33] Speaker 3: was so pleased with that.
[4:34] Speaker 2: So how did you feel winning that? I mean, that
[4:37] Speaker 2: is a huge award in the UK.
[4:39] Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a huge award for somebody who was only
[4:43] Speaker 4: 19 at the time.
[4:47] Speaker 3: And for the whole production, the show, the costumes.
[4:50] Speaker 4: It was so great to hear them call the Grace
[4:53] Speaker 4: Kennedy Show.
[4:54] Speaker 3: It was so good. That was a great moment.
[4:58] Speaker 4: But there's been some great moments throughout The television show
[5:02] Speaker 4: working with Al Jarreau and the Pointer Sisters. It was
[5:06] Speaker 4: a masterclass in itself working with those guys, you know? Yeah.
[5:10] Speaker 2: Now, to start out at 17 and then have an
[5:14] Speaker 2: award-winning TV show at 19, that's really young.
[5:18] Speaker 3: Oh, I started out.
[5:20] Speaker 4: I tell you when I started out was when I
[5:22] Speaker 4: was 11.
[5:23] Speaker 2: Okay.
[5:23] Speaker 1: Okay.
[5:24] Speaker 4: And I won a talent competition, won that. And my
[5:28] Speaker 4: mom said, do you want to take this seriously? And
[5:30] Speaker 4: she approached a singing teacher from 11 years old. I
[5:34] Speaker 4: then worked with the singing teacher, Mark Hayden. And then
[5:38] Speaker 4: I think it was the age of 13. He said,
[5:41] Speaker 4: you got to go out there and perform in front
[5:43] Speaker 4: of an audience. Yeah. They found a club for me.
[5:46] Speaker 4: It was called the Green Man Club. It was down
[5:49] Speaker 4: in Great Portman Street in London. And every Wednesday, singers
[5:54] Speaker 4: would go down there and pay their money for the
[5:57] Speaker 4: band to play for them.
[5:58] Speaker 3: And they used to have.
[5:59] Speaker 4: Opportunity Knocks and at the time, a bit like X Factor,
[6:03] Speaker 4: Opportunity Knocks.
[6:04] Speaker 3: Right.
[6:05] Speaker 4: New faces would come down and, you know, talent scout
[6:08] Speaker 4: for new talent. And I was lucky to, at the
[6:12] Speaker 4: age of 15, I was lucky that I.
[6:15] Speaker 3: Got on the show.
[6:16] Speaker 1: Right.
[6:16] Speaker 3: That was the first start of my career on that show.
[6:20] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[6:20] Speaker 2: Now, did you fully grasp it? I mean, 17, doing
[6:24] Speaker 2: what you was doing, then 19, hosting your own TV show.
[6:27] Speaker 2: Did you fully grasp what that really meant?
[6:30] Speaker 3: No, I didn't. I didn't know.
[6:34] Speaker 4: It was a whirlwind of learning songs and dance routines.
[6:39] Speaker 4: There was no time to think about.
[6:41] Speaker 3: Anything, you know.
[6:42] Speaker 1: Right.
[6:43] Speaker 4: I was so, you know, everything was just thrown at
[6:47] Speaker 4: me and I just had to swim and learn, you know? Yeah.
[6:50] Speaker 2: And then it wasn't too long after that that you
[6:52] Speaker 2: had a collaboration with Boy George on The Wishing Well.
[6:55] Speaker 3: That's right.
[6:56] Speaker 2: That was a top 20 hit for you. How did
[6:58] Speaker 2: that collaboration come together? And then once it did come
[7:01] Speaker 2: together and started having that success, what did it mean
[7:04] Speaker 2: to you to be able to step up to that
[7:06] Speaker 2: next level?
[7:07] Speaker 4: And it was so wonderful that Great Ormond Street Hospital
[7:11] Speaker 4: in London, we were doing this wonderful song for them
[7:15] Speaker 4: and producers were looking for all the artists to come
[7:19] Speaker 4: on board and I was asked and obviously I think
[7:22] Speaker 4: Boy George had something to do with I think he
[7:25] Speaker 4: wrote some of the song at the time and they
[7:27] Speaker 4: just gathered up quite a few singers and celebrities and
[7:31] Speaker 4: we all went on and learned the song there and
[7:34] Speaker 4: then you know it wasn't like here's the song we'll
[7:37] Speaker 4: see you next week it was there and then you
[7:40] Speaker 4: had to sing the song That was a great time
[7:44] Speaker 4: with everybody. And we raised, I think, a lot of
[7:47] Speaker 4: money for the charity. So to get the top 20, oh,
[7:52] Speaker 4: that was so good.
[7:53] Speaker 2: Now, it wasn't shortly after that you crossed the Atlantic and.
[7:57] Speaker 1: Started having U.S. success.
[7:59] Speaker 3: Starting again.
[8:00] Speaker 1: Yeah, starting again.
[8:01] Speaker 3: Starting again, yeah.
[8:02] Speaker 4: I think that song was in the Billboard 100. Yeah.
[8:06] Speaker 4: Went down to number 30 in the charts.
[8:08] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[8:09] Speaker 1: Yeah, it did really well.
[8:10] Speaker 3: Yeah, it did really well.
[8:11] Speaker 1: So how did that feel?
[8:12] Speaker 2: Not only having a career in the UK and England,
[8:16] Speaker 2: now you're having a career in the US.
[8:18] Speaker 1: You're becoming international.
[8:20] Speaker 3: It was just amazing. Absolutely amazing.
[8:23] Speaker 4: I didn't know that starting again would have hit the
[8:27] Speaker 4: charts out there. Just so incredible at the time. Yeah.
[8:31] Speaker 4: I think at the time, you know, I was around
[8:34] Speaker 4: 17 years old at that time when Starting Again went out.
[8:38] Speaker 3: So, yeah, it was fantastic. I was really proud.
[8:43] Speaker 2: So with all the things that you've done, all the
[8:45] Speaker 2: people that you've collaborated with, met on stage with, you've
[8:48] Speaker 2: had on your TV show, what legend or what singer
[8:52] Speaker 2: made the most impact on you?
[8:54] Speaker 4: Oh, I'd say Sammy Davis Jr. made a really big
[8:59] Speaker 4: impact on me.
[9:01] Speaker 1: Okay.
[9:01] Speaker 4: I was invited to sing on the Royal Variety Show
[9:05] Speaker 4: where you sing in front of the Queen. It was
[9:08] Speaker 4: the Queen Mother at the time and Prince Charles at
[9:11] Speaker 4: the time when I did it. And Sammy Davis and
[9:15] Speaker 4: Aretha Franklin was also guests singing on the show. They
[9:19] Speaker 4: were so lovely to me because at that time I
[9:22] Speaker 4: was young. They sort of, you know, cuddled me and
[9:25] Speaker 4: nurtured me.
[9:26] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[9:27] Speaker 4: And years later, Sammy invited me to one of his
[9:30] Speaker 4: shows at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli.
[9:33] Speaker 1: Okay.
[9:34] Speaker 3: We went along and it was a fantastic show.
[9:37] Speaker 4: Then afterwards, Al Chavez's wife said, come back.
[9:40] Speaker 3: To our place.
[9:41] Speaker 4: We're at the Inn on the Park. We've got a
[9:43] Speaker 4: suite there. Come back and, you know, have drinks. And
[9:46] Speaker 4: so we all went back. Just some chosen few people. Uh-huh.
[9:50] Speaker 4: I'm sitting there and all of a sudden Sammy came
[9:52] Speaker 4: up to me and he said, are you hungry?
[9:54] Speaker 3: I said, yes.
[9:55] Speaker 4: He said, I'm going to make you something. And he
[9:58] Speaker 4: went in the kitchen and twirled. minutes later he came
[10:02] Speaker 4: out with these scallops cooked in white wine and herbs.
[10:07] Speaker 3: It smelled so good.
[10:08] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[10:08] Speaker 4: I just couldn't believe it. You know, they were so
[10:11] Speaker 4: tasty as well. Yeah. I kept pinching myself saying, gosh,
[10:16] Speaker 4: Sammy Davis cooked.
[10:17] Speaker 3: Scallops for me. I can't believe it.
[10:21] Speaker 4: And that was, oh, that was such a memory that
[10:25] Speaker 4: I'll never forget.
[10:26] Speaker 1: Right.
[10:27] Speaker 4: I've said to somebody, you know, celebrity chefs weren't invented.
[10:30] Speaker 3: Then, but.
[10:33] Speaker 4: He would have been my number one celebrity chef.
[10:36] Speaker 3: He was so good at cooking. It was amazing. Amazing.
[10:39] Speaker 2: Now, in your travels, what are some of the more
[10:42] Speaker 2: memorable shows that you'll always have in your mind?
[10:46] Speaker 1: You never know what happens.
[10:48] Speaker 2: You know, sometimes it can be just somebody popping up
[10:50] Speaker 2: or the show just explodes for some reason and just
[10:53] Speaker 2: goes well. What lingers in your memory of a performance?
[10:56] Speaker 4: Well, I also went into the acting side of my career.
[11:01] Speaker 1: Okay.
[11:02] Speaker 4: And I think the most memorable for me was when
[11:05] Speaker 4: I went to Tokyo, Japan.
[11:07] Speaker 1: Okay.
[11:08] Speaker 3: We did Carmen Jones. I was starring as Carmen.
[11:11] Speaker 1: Okay.
[11:12] Speaker 4: The audience were just... incredible they sat quiet all the
[11:18] Speaker 4: way through and you're thinking gosh are they enjoying it
[11:21] Speaker 4: are they enjoying it and at the end the eruption
[11:24] Speaker 4: and the appreciation and i think that really was a
[11:28] Speaker 4: special time for me especially i've never been to tokyo
[11:32] Speaker 4: i've not been to any of those places and hong
[11:35] Speaker 4: kong right i really was uh taken back with the
[11:40] Speaker 4: audience there it was just amazing amazing yeah.
[11:44] Speaker 2: Now you've done soul, you've done pop, you've done R & B,
[11:48] Speaker 2: you've done TV, you've done acting.
[11:52] Speaker 1: What feels like home to you? What are you most
[11:54] Speaker 1: comfortable at doing?
[11:54] Speaker 4: Well, I'll let you into a secret. I love gardening.
[12:00] Speaker 1: Okay.
[12:01] Speaker 4: Well, I'll turn the camera around a bit.
[12:03] Speaker 1: Okay.
[12:04] Speaker 3: Can you see a little.
[12:05] Speaker 4: Bit of my garden?
[12:06] Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, yeah.
[12:07] Speaker 2: Our listeners can't see it, but I sure can. I
[12:10] Speaker 2: love getting an exclusive on my podcast.
[12:14] Speaker 4: So i love planting wonderful plants and with my gardeners
[12:19] Speaker 4: and we i just love that it's so peaceful yeah
[12:23] Speaker 4: i would walk around if i'm learning something yeah you
[12:26] Speaker 4: know i'm walking around singing in the garden which is
[12:30] Speaker 4: which is so therapeutic so that's what i love i
[12:34] Speaker 4: love doing that And it only came around actually because
[12:38] Speaker 4: of lockdown.
[12:39] Speaker 3: You know, we tried so many things in.
[12:41] Speaker 4: Lockdown and the gardening for me was just, just came,
[12:45] Speaker 4: you know, I just got into it and I loved it.
[12:48] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[12:48] Speaker 3: I don't like getting my hands dirty too much.
[12:51] Speaker 4: So I wear the gloves, but I love seeing the
[12:55] Speaker 4: end result. You know, I love that.
[12:58] Speaker 3: Love it.
[12:58] Speaker 2: That also can give you an inner peace that you
[13:01] Speaker 2: just need to just totally relax.
[13:04] Speaker 3: Exactly. I love it.
[13:06] Speaker 2: Yeah, because so many people get out there, they live
[13:08] Speaker 2: this fast paced life and they don't take time as
[13:12] Speaker 2: the old saying goes to smell the roses and realize
[13:15] Speaker 2: what they have.
[13:16] Speaker 3: Exactly.
[13:17] Speaker 4: I'm trying to embrace everything and I'm so grateful for
[13:21] Speaker 4: everything that's happening. And I really think about a lot
[13:25] Speaker 4: of things now more than I used to, you know.
[13:28] Speaker 1: Right.
[13:29] Speaker 3: Because life is too short, you know?
[13:31] Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely.
[13:32] Speaker 4: It is.
[13:33] Speaker 2: It is. That's a fairly similar topic that comes up
[13:36] Speaker 2: with a lot of people that I talk with. is
[13:39] Speaker 2: that when they're young, they're out there blowing and going,
[13:42] Speaker 2: trying to get everything just right. And then as they age,
[13:46] Speaker 2: they start realizing that that was a part of their life,
[13:48] Speaker 2: but there's other things they can integrate and just have.
[13:51] Speaker 1: A much more fulfilling life going for them.
[13:53] Speaker 4: That's right. Absolutely spot on.
[13:56] Speaker 3: Love it.
[13:57] Speaker 1: Yeah. So now you're doing some new music.
[14:00] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[14:01] Speaker 1: Yeah, tell us a little bit about that.
[14:03] Speaker 4: The album is DZIRE, spelled D-Z-I-R-E.
[14:08] Speaker 1: Okay.
[14:09] Speaker 4: We put some really, it's a diverse album with powerhouse ballads,
[14:14] Speaker 4: bit of pop, bit of drum and bass, not heavy
[14:17] Speaker 4: drum and bass, but we're getting to now the first single,
[14:20] Speaker 4: which is Strong.
[14:21] Speaker 1: Right.
[14:22] Speaker 4: Which has got a little bit of drum and bass
[14:24] Speaker 4: in there and was written by Junior Driscombe, who.
[14:27] Speaker 3: Had the big hit Mama Used to Say.
[14:29] Speaker 2: Okay.
[14:30] Speaker 3: And Robbie Taylor.
[14:32] Speaker 4: And the single actually was produced by my brother, Errol Kennedy,
[14:37] Speaker 4: from the group Imagination.
[14:39] Speaker 3: Do you remember Body Talk, Just an Illusion?
[14:42] Speaker 1: Oh, yes, yes.
[14:43] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[14:43] Speaker 4: So he's the drummer in the band and also he's
[14:47] Speaker 4: a producer. He's done about four tracks on the album.
[14:50] Speaker 1: Okay.
[14:51] Speaker 4: And we've got quite a few nice original songs. And
[14:56] Speaker 4: another producer that's on the album is Ben Robbins. And
[15:00] Speaker 4: he produced Cher and Enrique Iglesias.
[15:04] Speaker 3: A lot of his stuff.
[15:05] Speaker 4: Is very violin, stripped back, strong songs that are on
[15:10] Speaker 4: the album. Yeah. So that word strong keeps coming through
[15:14] Speaker 4: the whole thing.
[15:15] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[15:16] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[15:16] Speaker 4: I wanted that to be the first single because you
[15:19] Speaker 4: have to be strong in this business to get through. Right.
[15:23] Speaker 4: And I'm always asked, you know, what would you say
[15:25] Speaker 4: to somebody who's trying to get into the business? You've
[15:29] Speaker 4: just got to be strong and you've got to, you know,
[15:31] Speaker 4: focus and you've got to have that passion for this
[15:35] Speaker 4: business and also have some good support, people behind you
[15:40] Speaker 4: or around you, family or good friends, you know?
[15:43] Speaker 2: This business will eat you up and spit you out
[15:46] Speaker 2: if you don't pay attention to it.
[15:48] Speaker 3: Exactly that.
[15:49] Speaker 1: And you've got to be very.
[15:50] Speaker 2: Careful because there's a lot of people out there that
[15:52] Speaker 2: will promise you a lot of things that don't deliver.
[15:55] Speaker 1: You've got to take control.
[15:56] Speaker 2: You've got to take and really watch over everything you're
[15:59] Speaker 2: doing so that you're going where you want to go,
[16:02] Speaker 2: not where they want you to go.
[16:03] Speaker 4: Exactly that. You spot on again. You've hit the right
[16:07] Speaker 4: notes there. And that's what I just want the best
[16:10] Speaker 4: for everything I do now.
[16:12] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[16:13] Speaker 4: Any opportunity that's right, I take it with both hands.
[16:17] Speaker 1: Absolutely. So where is this going to be going? You
[16:20] Speaker 1: releasing the single to radio?
[16:22] Speaker 4: Yeah, the single's out now.
[16:24] Speaker 1: Oh, it's out now. Okay.
[16:25] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[16:26] Speaker 3: Strong's out. That's been out. It's been a month now, Strong.
[16:30] Speaker 1: Okay.
[16:30] Speaker 3: It's doing not bad.
[16:32] Speaker 1: Good.
[16:32] Speaker 4: Desire, the title track single, is out on the 2nd
[16:36] Speaker 4: of August, which is, I think, next week.
[16:39] Speaker 2: Unfortunately, this won't be released until about another month, but
[16:42] Speaker 2: at least it gives people something to listen to and
[16:44] Speaker 2: know they can go back and find it.
[16:46] Speaker 4: Yeah, but also the album is released on the 2nd
[16:50] Speaker 4: of October, so.
[16:51] Speaker 1: Okay, we'll be out in time for that then.
[16:53] Speaker 3: You'll be on time for that.
[16:54] Speaker 4: Yes. Throw everything at it.
[16:56] Speaker 1: That's right.
[16:57] Speaker 3: Play the tracks.
[16:58] Speaker 4: And if you want us to send you the album
[17:02] Speaker 4: so you can have a listen.
[17:03] Speaker 1: Oh, that'd be great.
[17:04] Speaker 4: I can get them to send you a link, a
[17:06] Speaker 4: private link, so you can listen.
[17:08] Speaker 3: To the tracks.
[17:09] Speaker 1: Yeah, that'd be great. That'd be great.
[17:11] Speaker 2: So what are your hopes now? What do you see
[17:13] Speaker 2: in your future coming up?
[17:14] Speaker 3: In my future? At the moment, I see that I'm
[17:17] Speaker 3: working on this album.
[17:19] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[17:19] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[17:20] Speaker 4: Which is the most important thing to me at the
[17:22] Speaker 4: moment this year.
[17:23] Speaker 1: Right.
[17:24] Speaker 4: Then I'd like, which is in the progress, is concerts
[17:28] Speaker 4: and festivals.
[17:29] Speaker 3: That's what I'd like to do.
[17:30] Speaker 1: Right, right.
[17:31] Speaker 4: You know, to perform the songs from the album. That's
[17:35] Speaker 4: my main thing. I want to sing those songs. Yeah.
[17:38] Speaker 3: We chose songs that.
[17:40] Speaker 4: I know I feel and they come from the heart.
[17:43] Speaker 1: Good, yeah.
[17:44] Speaker 3: I can perform them. It was so important to me.
[17:47] Speaker 1: Did you record them in London or where did you
[17:48] Speaker 1: record them?
[17:49] Speaker 3: Yeah, I recorded them in London.
[17:51] Speaker 4: And it's been a process because obviously, you know, with
[17:54] Speaker 4: an album, you just don't do it one time. You
[17:57] Speaker 4: build up to it, you know, to get all the
[18:00] Speaker 4: right feelings and sounds and everything. Right. And we finished
[18:04] Speaker 4: the album in January.
[18:05] Speaker 1: Okay.
[18:06] Speaker 3: Would you believe it?
[18:07] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[18:07] Speaker 3: Yeah.
[18:08] Speaker 4: So I'm really pleased now that it's out. Well, the
[18:11] Speaker 4: album's not out until October, but I'm pleased that the
[18:14] Speaker 4: singles are coming out.
[18:16] Speaker 1: Right.
[18:16] Speaker 3: There's three singles.
[18:18] Speaker 4: We've got Strong, Desire, and a summer track called One
[18:22] Speaker 4: Love that's coming out.
[18:23] Speaker 1: Okay.
[18:24] Speaker 4: Then the big one will be the album on the
[18:27] Speaker 4: 2nd of October with a bonus track called The Boss.
[18:31] Speaker 3: Do you remember the Diana.
[18:32] Speaker 4: Ross track, The Boss?
[18:33] Speaker 1: Yes. Yes, yes.
[18:34] Speaker 4: Yeah, we've redone that. Sorry, I've got a butterfly fly.
[18:38] Speaker 1: Well, a butterfly is a good thing.
[18:40] Speaker 3: Oh, it's lovely. Can you see it?
[18:43] Speaker 4: Can you see the butterfly flying around?
[18:45] Speaker 1: Oh, yes, there he is.
[18:46] Speaker 3: There he is.
[18:49] Speaker 1: Yeah, a butterfly is a good thing.
[18:51] Speaker 2: I've always heard that if a butterfly flies around you,
[18:54] Speaker 2: that's good luck coming your way.
[18:56] Speaker 4: Oh, thank you. Thank you.
[18:58] Speaker 3: That's what I need. I need all the luck.
[19:01] Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what we all do.
[19:02] Speaker 2: Going through the process of recording this and working with
[19:05] Speaker 2: the people, that must have brought back a great passion
[19:08] Speaker 2: for you to just splash over and keep promoting this.
[19:12] Speaker 4: Yeah, I think because.
[19:14] Speaker 3: You know, when I did the four albums with the BBC.
[19:17] Speaker 4: Right. Well, it was DJM first. The BBC came on
[19:21] Speaker 4: board for One Voice. I didn't have any say in
[19:26] Speaker 4: the album. Right.
[19:28] Speaker 3: The producers were there.
[19:29] Speaker 4: I just went in, sang the songs. Yes.
[19:31] Speaker 3: That was it.
[19:32] Speaker 4: Right.
[19:32] Speaker 3: But on this album, I am so in it.
[19:36] Speaker 4: Good.
[19:36] Speaker 3: With the whole production and everything. And oh, I love it.
[19:41] Speaker 1: So this is a reflection of you then.
[19:43] Speaker 4: That's absolutely a reflection of me.
[19:46] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[19:47] Speaker 3: That's why I'm so passionate.
[19:48] Speaker 4: I know people go, oh, that's passionate, but I am
[19:51] Speaker 4: so passionate about it because I've been a part of it. Yeah.
[19:55] Speaker 3: It's in the making of seven years doing this album.
[19:58] Speaker 4: Wow. Yeah.
[19:59] Speaker 3: You know, finding the songs, finding the right producers.
[20:02] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[20:03] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[20:03] Speaker 3: So I'm really pleased now it's coming out in October.
[20:09] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[20:09] Speaker 1: So do you have a website where people can follow you?
[20:12] Speaker 3: I've got Instagram.
[20:14] Speaker 1: Okay.
[20:15] Speaker 4: If people go into it's at Grace Kennedy official.
[20:19] Speaker 1: Okay.
[20:20] Speaker 3: And that's the same for Facebook. Also TikTok.
[20:24] Speaker 1: Right.
[20:24] Speaker 3: And Instagram.
[20:25] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[20:26] Speaker 2: That's the one thing that's changed so drastically between now
[20:30] Speaker 2: and the past is that with Instagram and Facebook, the
[20:33] Speaker 2: people that follow.
[20:34] Speaker 1: You can actually reach out to you and contact you.
[20:37] Speaker 2: And you can create a great combination of followers and
[20:42] Speaker 2: passionate people that love your music where you didn't know
[20:46] Speaker 2: that in the past.
[20:47] Speaker 3: Of course.
[20:48] Speaker 4: And also what is so wonderful, I've had videos sent
[20:54] Speaker 4: to me.
[20:55] Speaker 1: Yes.
[20:55] Speaker 4: From back in the days when I did all the
[20:58] Speaker 4: television shows.
[20:59] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[20:59] Speaker 4: They're sending me all these lovely clips and... I just
[21:04] Speaker 4: couldn't believe it because I tried to get them from
[21:07] Speaker 4: the BBC footage. But the archives, I don't know. They're
[21:11] Speaker 4: not there anymore because they're so old or whatever. But
[21:14] Speaker 4: there's fans out there who have sent me so much
[21:18] Speaker 4: footage and I've put them on my Instagram and TikTok
[21:21] Speaker 4: and Facebook.
[21:22] Speaker 2: Nice.
[21:23] Speaker 4: It was so good to see the performance with Marvin Hamlisch.
[21:27] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[21:28] Speaker 3: And Bruce Forsyth as well.
[21:30] Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah.
[21:30] Speaker 3: I worked with Bruce.
[21:31] Speaker 4: All these wonderful people that I've worked with, I've got
[21:35] Speaker 4: these great memories, which is so good, you know?
[21:38] Speaker 2: I've heard that the BBC is actually digitalizing your whole
[21:41] Speaker 2: catalog now and putting it out there.
[21:43] Speaker 3: That's right. They digitalized them. Oh, gosh. Four years ago,
[21:47] Speaker 3: they were starting digitalizing them.
[21:49] Speaker 4: And it's this year that we've decided to put a
[21:52] Speaker 4: new album together.
[21:53] Speaker 3: I mean, first they were thinking, well, let's do the
[21:56] Speaker 3: best of.
[21:57] Speaker 4: And I said, no, I'd like to do something original
[22:00] Speaker 4: with great writers, musicians, and And this is how it
[22:05] Speaker 4: all came around with.
[22:07] Speaker 3: Desire, the album.
[22:08] Speaker 1: Right.
[22:09] Speaker 4: I'm so pleased and grateful that they listened and supported.
[22:13] Speaker 3: Me on it.
[22:14] Speaker 1: Oh, that's great.
[22:15] Speaker 2: There's nothing better than putting new music out that you're
[22:19] Speaker 2: passionate about.
[22:20] Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly.
[22:21] Speaker 2: And then waiting for the response of the listeners and
[22:23] Speaker 2: your fans to grab a hold of it.
[22:26] Speaker 4: Exactly. And like you say, all those four albums are
[22:30] Speaker 4: there for people to.
[22:31] Speaker 3: Stream and listen to.
[22:33] Speaker 1: Right.
[22:34] Speaker 4: It's just wonderful that we're just bringing it right up
[22:36] Speaker 4: to date with.
[22:37] Speaker 3: A new album, you know?
[22:39] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[22:39] Speaker 2: What's an accomplishment that you are most proud of that
[22:43] Speaker 2: people might not recognize or remember?
[22:45] Speaker 3: Oh, gosh.
[22:47] Speaker 4: I think the one was my BBC television show. To
[22:50] Speaker 4: have that, that was a great thing to have. And also,
[22:54] Speaker 4: I think The other one would be singing in front
[22:58] Speaker 4: of the royals at 17 years old.
[23:03] Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
[23:05] Speaker 4: That was great because I sang in front of the
[23:09] Speaker 4: queen's mother at the time and Prince Charles when he
[23:13] Speaker 4: was Prince Charles before he became king. Oh, wow. That
[23:16] Speaker 4: was an amazing achievement, something that I accomplished at the.
[23:22] Speaker 3: Age of 17 years old.
[23:24] Speaker 1: Right.
[23:24] Speaker 4: That's with me for the rest of my days. And
[23:28] Speaker 4: so that was a good thing for me at that time.
[23:31] Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
[23:32] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[23:33] Speaker 3: And also I have the photographs with the Queen.
[23:36] Speaker 4: I did the Royal Variety Show again and then performed
[23:41] Speaker 4: in front of our Queen as well. I was very
[23:45] Speaker 4: fortunate to perform in front of the Queen Mother and
[23:48] Speaker 4: Prince Charles at the time and then the Queen and
[23:51] Speaker 4: Prince Philip. So that's something very special and they're great.
[23:56] Speaker 3: Memories, great memories.
[23:58] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[23:59] Speaker 2: Now, speaking of memories, who are some of the influences
[24:04] Speaker 2: that helped shape you.
[24:06] Speaker 3: Oh, God.
[24:07] Speaker 2: Not only those early days, but in this last album
[24:11] Speaker 2: that you put together.
[24:12] Speaker 4: I think it's going to be Tina Turner now.
[24:15] Speaker 3: Okay. I love her performance. The energy she had.
[24:20] Speaker 4: Oh, yeah. I love that because that's what I love
[24:23] Speaker 4: to do is perform with the energy.
[24:26] Speaker 3: She sets the bar really high.
[24:29] Speaker 4: And if I could sort of get there where she was,
[24:32] Speaker 4: I'd be so pleased. She was just absolutely amazing.
[24:37] Speaker 2: Amazing.
[24:38] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[24:39] Speaker 3: So Tina would have been.
[24:41] Speaker 4: My, yeah.
[24:42] Speaker 1: So if someone knew to your music today.
[24:45] Speaker 4: Yeah.
[24:46] Speaker 1: What song would you want them to start with? And
[24:49] Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be your hit records or anything.
[24:51] Speaker 2: What song would you think would impact them that they'd
[24:55] Speaker 2: want to hear more?
[24:56] Speaker 3: Oh, gosh. I think the ballads for me shows off
[25:00] Speaker 3: my voice.
[25:01] Speaker 4: Okay. And it has the impact because there's quite a
[25:05] Speaker 4: few powerhouse ballads.
[25:07] Speaker 3: On the album.
[25:08] Speaker 1: Okay. Okay.
[25:09] Speaker 4: Anyone who's going to listen to the album, yes, they'll
[25:12] Speaker 4: have the uptracks and they're great. To hear the voice
[25:16] Speaker 4: and the quality, that for me, I'd hope that whoever
[25:21] Speaker 4: listens to the album will hear all the reflections and
[25:25] Speaker 4: the feelings that I put into the ballads. Yeah.
[25:29] Speaker 2: Now, you know, from a singer's standpoint, You're recording songs,
[25:33] Speaker 2: and out of all the songs you record, there's always
[25:35] Speaker 2: that one song that you record, you listen to it.
[25:41] Speaker 2: For some reason, you say, man, that is the best
[25:44] Speaker 2: song I think I've ever done. Now, it might not
[25:47] Speaker 2: be your biggest song as far as release or records
[25:50] Speaker 2: or charts, but what is that one song that you
[25:53] Speaker 2: recorded that might not have got the attention that it deserved,
[25:57] Speaker 2: but you felt that it was the best that you did?
[26:00] Speaker 3: Really hard. That's a hard call, that one.
[26:07] Speaker 4: That's a hard one to single out all the other songs,
[26:10] Speaker 4: you know, because there's so many in there I would
[26:16] Speaker 4: have loved to have had out there.
[26:19] Speaker 3: That's a hard one. That's a hard one.
[26:22] Speaker 2: Well, hey, you've got to ask a hard question every
[26:24] Speaker 2: now and then, you know.
[26:25] Speaker 3: That's a hard question.
[26:27] Speaker 4: I mean, the song now on the album, Desire, Wherever
[26:31] Speaker 4: You Are Tonight and Love Affair, they're two big ballads.
[26:36] Speaker 1: Okay.
[26:37] Speaker 3: I really love those two ballads.
[26:39] Speaker 4: And Wherever You Are Tonight was written quite a few
[26:42] Speaker 4: years ago, and I didn't record it.
[26:44] Speaker 3: I did the demo.
[26:45] Speaker 1: Uh-huh.
[26:46] Speaker 4: Decided i wanted to put it on the album the
[26:49] Speaker 4: thing was uh when i actually went into the studio
[26:52] Speaker 4: to perform it i was really.
[26:54] Speaker 1: Ill oh yeah that's tough yeah i.
[26:57] Speaker 4: Had this virus and i couldn't shake it off yeah
[27:00] Speaker 4: i tried so hard to sing the song right we
[27:03] Speaker 4: had to leave it until i was well right and
[27:07] Speaker 4: it was january that i went in and put that
[27:10] Speaker 4: song down and i'm so proud.
[27:12] Speaker 1: Of it oh that's good Because it.
[27:14] Speaker 4: Has the feelings and everything that I wanted to put
[27:18] Speaker 4: in that song. Right.
[27:19] Speaker 3: I can hear it.
[27:20] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[27:20] Speaker 4: That's one that I can say that I'm really proud of.
[27:24] Speaker 3: And Love Affair as well. They're two great.
[27:26] Speaker 2: You know, it's amazing that if you look at a
[27:28] Speaker 2: lot of the singers that are known for their pop
[27:31] Speaker 2: up-tempo songs, if you listen to them and then you
[27:35] Speaker 2: hear them do a rare ballad, then all of a
[27:38] Speaker 2: sudden you hear that shine through that you wouldn't thought
[27:42] Speaker 2: that they could have. I can understand when you say
[27:44] Speaker 2: that you've done all these uptempo songs, but it's the
[27:47] Speaker 2: ballads that really get your heart because that's when you
[27:50] Speaker 2: get a chance to really showcase what you're feeling, put
[27:53] Speaker 2: your emotions into it and really make that song your own.
[27:57] Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly.
[27:58] Speaker 4: I'm hoping when people listen to the albums, they will
[28:02] Speaker 4: hear that and will hear the emotion.
[28:04] Speaker 3: They will hear the feeling.
[28:05] Speaker 4: I hope it touches them as well. You know, sometimes
[28:09] Speaker 4: when you're listening to albums, there's always one track that
[28:13] Speaker 4: will get you. And I hope I nailed it on
[28:18] Speaker 4: this album for people to listen to.
[28:20] Speaker 2: In closing, what would you like to tell people they
[28:23] Speaker 2: might not know about you? You think that they need
[28:25] Speaker 2: to know? What's a message for you to put across
[28:28] Speaker 2: to the listener?
[28:29] Speaker 3: I would say, hello, listeners.
[28:32] Speaker 4: I have a great album that's coming out in October,
[28:35] Speaker 4: and I really would like you to listen to it
[28:39] Speaker 4: and support me with it. I'm so proud of it.
[28:43] Speaker 4: And I hope when you listen to it, you would
[28:45] Speaker 4: love it too.
[28:46] Speaker 2: Yeah, that's great. Well, I really appreciate you taking the
[28:49] Speaker 2: time to join us today.
[28:50] Speaker 3: Thank you. I really loved this interview. Thank you so
[28:54] Speaker 3: much for having me.
[28:55] Speaker 1: It's been my pleasure. Thanks again.
[28:57] Speaker 2: A sincere thank you to our guests for sharing their
[29:00] Speaker 2: journey with us today. And thanks for spending part of
[29:03] Speaker 2: your day with us. We hope today's conversation gave you
[29:06] Speaker 2: something to take with you. If you haven't already, remember,
[29:10] Speaker 2: tap follow so you never miss the great conversations and
[29:14] Speaker 2: guests still ahead. You can always reach us at media
[29:18] Speaker 2: at plateau music dot com. Thanks for being part of
[29:21] Speaker 2: what we're building here on Almost Live Nashville. We'll see
[29:24] Speaker 2: you next time.

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